International Travel

Seat Upgrades

Williams College will fund an upgrade to Economy Plus seating on flights with a duration of more than 4 hours in the air, continuously.  For Staff, this must be approved by the Senior Staff officer in the unit, or in the case of Senior Staff, by the President’s Office.

First Class or Business Class Travel

In general it is the College’s policy that first class or business class travel is not authorized for College employee traveling on College business.  However, there may be circumstances when flying first or business class is appropriate.  Such circumstances may include the length of the trip or a temporary health condition.  In such cases first or business class travel for the President may be reimbursed provided it is approved by the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees (or another member of the Executive Committee if the Chair is unavailable).  For all other employees, first or business class travel must be approved by the Senior Staff member to whom that employee reports.

Any College employee, including the President, may use their personal “points”, “coupons”, or pay directly for upgrades to first or business class.  The College will not reimburse for such upgrades.

WiFi

WiFi may be charged to the college when used to conduct college business.  WiFi will be funded to enhance the employee’s ability to work and attend to matters requiring their attention while traveling.

TSA Pre

The College will fund a TSA Pre-Select designation for employees who travel 36 or more days per calendar year.  The TSA designation is intended to expedite the check in process for flights which will reduce stress for our employees and ensure that they are not delayed while traveling.

Global Entry Card

This will be funded only for employees who do extensive foreign travel.  Please contact the Controller for details.

Currency exchange and ATM fees

The College will reimburse employees for currency exchange fees.  Employees are encouraged to pay for meals, hotels and purchases on their corporate credit card as the cards often offers the safest and most economical exchange conversion.  The College discourages employees from carrying large amounts of cash while traveling.  In most cases, using an ATM machine will provide an excellent exchange rate and will reduce the amount of cash the employee has on his/her person. ATM fees for cash withdrawals will be reimbursed.